Recent action anime have been leaning more into the fantastical aspect. With recent shounen juggernauts such as Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia leaning more into their grandiose action sequences, complemented with beams of color for their representation of power,. But as you keep seeing these types of action sequences—with each year upping its stakes and quality from the last—it also becomes more stale as it's the only thing that's predominantly mainstream with the lack of variety. This year, however, has a lot of promises in the action anime realm that shake up the medium, one of which is this anime. ***

In the action department, Sakamoto Days has been one of the most interesting so far, not because how grandiose the series is compared to the last, but how creative and practical its action sequences are. For comparison, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2’s Sukuna and Jogo battle sequence is undeniably impressive, but it lost its grounded tangibility with many elements flying around on screen, finding it hard to make sense of the durability and practicality of each item during its action sequences. Part of an action sequence is using items around the characters as obstacles or tools to achieve their desired way of defeating an enemy in an entertaining and creative fashion—in which Sakamoto Days delivers it well.

From the first episode alone, you can see its grounded take on action sequences down to its street-level style, by using tangible materials such as convenience store shelves as part of its safe defense or a strategic attack. Each crash packs a heavier punch, and the creative uses of familiar spaces and choreography make it one of the most interesting action-oriented animes around.

Apart from its action sequences, this anime has a lot more heart to it than you might expect. We follow with a character named Shin Asakura (Nobunaga Shimazaki), who's with many misadventures, meeting many individuals who dared to assassinate Tarou Sakamoto (Tomokazu Sugita), a notoriously feared assassin who retired for a humble life—and out of shape. From that premise alone, there isn't much of a legroom to fully explore many themes as it follows a more traditional, obstacle-oriented adventure, but it manages to sneak in some drama into it from the heart-to-heart interactions, well-realized motivations, and fun chemistry between many major and minor characters.

Aside from its well-crafted and unique action sequences and a lovable, heartwarming cast of characters, this series does not really offer anything that's inventive that redefines its medium. At the end of the day, it is still your standard shounen series with standard shounen formulas present from many successful shounen anime—and it continues to have that element in this series. It can be a great thing for many viewers since there is that familiarity with the formula, which you can find an easy connection with the series. On the other hand, those who were seeking something profound or formula-breaking can be left disappointed—but still leaving the series with a smile. ***

Sakamoto Days is your usual shounen series with its proven and tested formulas that continuously work, along with a standout quirk of having street-level action sequences that bring a refreshing light. An easy recommendation for shounen fans and action fans alike. ***